A remote center compliance device (RCC) is a passive device for aiding insertion and mating maneuvers in robot machines and assembly equipment. RCC's typically include a structure which supports an operator member and establishes a remote compliance center near the functioning end of the operator member. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,098,001; 4,155,169. In some robot and assembly applications there is a need for feedback from the RCC; however, force measurement is not always ideal for this purpose. For example, force sensors generally cannot withstand the large forces that occur when the RCC is driven to the limit against mechanical stops. In addition, force sensors generally cannot resolve the very small forces on the RCC when it is operating in its more normal range, not at its limits. Further, the mounting of the force sensors, usually between the RCC and its support from the host machine, interferes with the compliance of the RCC; the compliance of the remote center is not simply that of the RCC but the combination of the compliance of the RCC and the compliance of the force sensor apparatus.